


hold it steady with you by my side

by JuneOokami, Silversouledcat



Series: Disaster Trio Modern AU [8]
Category: Castlevania (Cartoon), 悪魔城ドラキュラ | Castlevania Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Disaster Trio Modern AU, Established Relationship, F/M, Family Drama, Family Feels, Feels, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Vlad Tepes' A+ Parenting, cezar the dog deserves more screen time, that's not how you build a healthy relationship with your son vlad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-18
Updated: 2020-01-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:54:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22299643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JuneOokami/pseuds/JuneOokami, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silversouledcat/pseuds/Silversouledcat
Summary: Adrian takes Sypha to a fancy dinner in his family's house. Time for her to meet his father.Surprisingly, there is only one fire.
Relationships: Alucard | Adrian Tepes | Arikado Genya/Trevor Belmont/Sypha Belnades, Dracula Vlad Tepes | Mathias Cronqvist/Lisa, Hector & Isaac Laforeze
Series: Disaster Trio Modern AU [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1525235
Comments: 3
Kudos: 98





	hold it steady with you by my side

**Author's Note:**

> Set before the trio moves in together. I have big plans for my man Vlad.
> 
> Title is from Without You by Oh Wonder

Isaac walked the mansion halls silently, not out of malice, but just out of habit. He didn't derive any amusement out of scaring the newer staff whenever they ran into him, or out of being considered strange and somewhat disturbing. He'd been raised and trained to be quiet and non intrusive, bordering on unnoticeable, while remaining efficient and proactive. The result was that he had quickly become essential to the Tepes family, the very image of competence, reliability and discretion, one of very few people worthy of Vlad's trust. Not Lisa's, though. What Isaac and Lisa had for each other was a mix of tolerance and respect. Vlad valued his wife's judgement and opinion, but he saw something in Isaac he approved of. Lisa felt differently.

He knocked on the door mostly to announce himself, as Vlad already expected him. "Sir, I have the documents you requested," he said, already walking in and placing the stack of papers on the desk's inbox. He collected the outbox contents as Vlad finished his tea. "I'll have someone come pick that up. Your next meeting is set for fifteen minutes from now, with the French investors."

Vlad sighed and looked out through the massive windows at the garden. "How is everything for tonight?"

"Almost done, sir. The kitchen staff ran into a small problem, but Lisa has already dealt with it."

Vlad quirked his eyebrows, somehow looking even more tired. "Oh? Was it not enough to cancel this whole thing? What a shame."  
Isaac's lips twitched the smallest amount. "Sadly, no."

"Has my son confirmed his presence yet?" asked Vlad, placing his cup on the desk and walking over to one of the bookshelves lining the walls in his office. He picked a book at random, landing on a copy of Jurassic Park, one of Adrian's that was left behind when he moved out.

"Not directly, sir. Miss Belnades has called and confirmed on his behalf and her own."

"You don't say." Vlad left the book on his desk and walked towards a drink cart placed next to the window. "I guess this calls for some whisky. I wish you would join me, Isaac."

Isaac decided not to comment on the time. "I am yet to be tempted by drink, sir. Anything else I can help with?"

Vlad swirled the drink in his cup, watching the dark liquid move in the light. "No, this is it for now. If you see my wife, please ask her to pick my suit for the night." He sighed, sitting at his desk and starting to look at the documents Isaac brought him. "I can't be bothered choosing one only for her to tell me it's the wrong suit, that I look too gloomy," he mumbled to himself.

"Will you be joining Lisa for lunch, sir?"

"Yes, yes. The French investors won't be here long. I'll make sure they're out by lunch time."

"Very well, sir." Isaac closed the door behind him and decided to deal with Hector now rather than later and be done with it. He should take his lunch hour and get some rest, but the very idea of stopping in the middle of such a busy day made him lose the little appetite he had. He passed the meeting room, where Vlad's assistant was setting up the table. On his way outside, Isaac could see Lisa talking to the cook responsible for the incident, a small fire quickly contained by the kitchen staff. If he were the one responsible for dealing with this, the young man would be fired on the spot for damaging one of the ovens and setting back preparations for dinner. As it was, Lisa was scolding the cook but still giving him a chance to redeem himself. Isaac rolled his eyes. Too soft.

Hector was, as usual, at the stables, preferring to spend his time with the horses rather than with humans. Isaac had tried to talk some sense into him, but Hector was a gentle soul at heart and this was what made him happy. It certainly was a good fit, as he tended to Vlad's incredibly expensive prize horses as if they were his children.

"You need to be present for dinner tonight," he said, watching as Hector did his thing and lovingly caressed a horse's snout. The animal's eyes were closed, same as Hector's, as they shared a moment of something Isaac tried to, but could not comprehend. He kept his distance while his colleague said something to another stable hand and the young woman took the horse into the stable proper.

"Yes, I'm aware. I'll be there, although Vlad doesn't really need my presence."

"He needs all of us there, it's a big night for Lisa," Isaac said, walking with Hector to his makeshift office. How the man worked immersed in the smell of manure day in and day out, he would never know.

"She seems very excited. Adrian is coming, I assume?" asked Hector, sitting by his messy desk. His dog, a pug named Cezar, jumped to his lap and settled there for some quality petting. Isaac stood by the door, keeping a safe distance from the clutter.

"He is, apparently, coming with miss Belnades."

Hector snorted. "That's gonna be fun."

"That depends on your definition of fun," said Isaac tiredly, leaving Hector to his animals. 

Isaac dealt with his administrative duties through lunch, only pausing to drink some tea when his back started hurting. He was done with spare time to check on dinner preparations again, making sure everything was perfect. This was Lisa's event, but he was responsible for running the estate and it was his duty to see that it went smoothly.

"This is the correct order for the canapés, make sure nothing comes out of the kitchen late," he said, handing the head of the waiting staff the final menu. He was about to check with the cellist hired to perform at the dinner when Lisa called him aside. Isaac kept his expression perfectly neutral as they walked out into the garden.

"Isaac, my son is coming tonight, as you know. With his girlfriend."

"Yes, ma'am. Is there anything I can help with?"

Lisa lowered her voice. "I'm going to make sure to keep Sypha away from Vlad before dinner, and I need your help with him. It's going to be stressful enough eating at the same table."

Isaac didn't know miss Belnades very well, but he was sure she would find a way to get under Vlad's skin before the main course was served. "Absolutely, ma'am."

Lisa sighed, looking at her watch. "My hair stylist should be here soon, so I'll be upstairs. I've texted Sypha to come early so she can have her hair done as well, so please send Adrian and her up before Vlad sees them. Not that he should be out of his office anytime  
soon."

Oh wonderful, yet another problem for Isaac to juggle. "Of course, ma'am."

The luxury of the mansion didn't phase Sypha, but if pressed, she would admit to being confused as to why anyone needed that much opulence. She and Adrian were quickly but politely directed upstairs by Isaac, who was apparently even more serious than her boyfriend made him seem. The man could win a staring contest against a marble statue. Lisa, who she had thankfully already met on neutral grounds, was expecting them in her absurdly sized bedroom. It was definitely bigger than Sypha's apartment.

"Adrian! My love!" she exclaimed upon seeing them, urging the stylist to stop what he was doing to her hair so she could get up and hug her son. "I'm so glad you came, Adry!"

"Mom, please…" he tried, hugging her back while trying to keep some of his dignity. Sypha snickered. "Could you please not call me that in front of other people?"

"But you're my baby! How else am I supposed to call you?" asked Lisa, smiling from ear to ear as she held his face with both hands.  
"My little Adry. And you my dear, thank you so much for making my baby come see his mom," she said, moving on to hug Sypha next, tight and warm. It was some quality mom hugging time, which Sypha very much appreciated.

Adrian sat on the chaise lounge near the big dresser with a sigh. "Mom, please let Auguste finish your hair."

"Oh, yes, yes. Sypha? There are some pictures of styles Auguste selected for your hair length, you can browse them on the tablet and pick whatever you want."

"Fancy," she mumbled, sitting beside Adrian to do just that. "You didn't have to, Auguste."

"Don't worry about it, it's my job," he said, with a lovely voice that could earn him a good career as a singer if he got tired of his current job. "Honestly, seeing you now? I'd go with something very simple, you have lovely hair."

"Thank you," said Sypha, smiling confidently. Adrian served himself a glass of water from a pitcher on the coffee table.

"You two are a perfect fit," Auguste continued, looking at them through the mirror as he worked on Lisa's hair. "Gonna give Lisa some adorable grandkids, strawberry blonde like you, honey eyes like Adrian," he added, with a knowing smile.

Sypha blushed considerably, Lisa chuckled graciously and Adrian nearly spit his water. Back at his place, Trevor's ears burned and he had no idea why.

"You're so mean to him," said Sypha, looking at the jewelry displayed in front of her like it was an untouchable treasure. Lisa picked a pair of yellow gold with diamond earrings, made a face, and put them back like they were nothing.

"I'm doing my part as his mom. What do you think of these?" she asked, showing Sypha a pair of sapphire earrings. The stones were big and exuberant, accompanied by tiny diamonds on white gold. "I think yellow gold doesn't fit you at all."

Sypha took a deep breath. "They are amazing," she said, a bit uncertain. "Yellow is… not my favorite color."

"Your hair has just enough red, huh?" asked Lisa sympathetically, setting the earrings aside and picking a much simpler, much lighter chain necklace with only a small diamond pendant to go with it. It was closer to Sypha's personal taste, only way more expensive.

"This is my natural color, but I dyed it dark red for most of my teens."

Lisa took a good look at her, certainly trying to imagine what that must have looked like. "Funny, I could hardly imagine you in anything red. Now go change and put these on," she said, gently pushing Sypha towards her enormous walk-in closet.

"Yes, ma'am," said Sypha, a bit overwhelmed.

"Don't 'ma'am' me, call me Lisa. Hell, call me 'mom' if you will but not 'ma'am', makes me feel old."

Sypha laughed. "Yeah, no, Lisa is fine," she said, and Lisa looked relieved she didn't pick the other option after all.

Looking at herself in the full body mirror, Sypha had to admit the earrings were an amazing complement to her long dress. She twirled a little, watching as the dark blue fabric flowed softly. Form fitting wasn't her thing when it came to formal wear, she much preferred flow and lightness in a dress or skirt. Auguste had really done an amazing job with her hair, taking advantage of her natural curls. Sypha was really pleased with the overall result, and wondered what Adrian would think of it. Even better, what Trevor would think of it when he saw the pictures later. 

She walked back into Lisa's room to find her getting the finishing touches to her makeup. Adrian's mother was young, beautiful and classy, and also apparently perfectly used to this, as she talked to Sypha without moving an inch so her assistant wouldn't smudge her eyeliner. "Oh, that's a lovely dress! Would you be terribly upset if I gave you those earrings? They look better on you than on me," she said, making Sypha wonder if she actually meant it.

"They're too nice, Lisa. I couldn't…" she tried, shifting a little uncomfortably on her heels.

Lisa looked at her in the mirror for just a moment, then smiled. "Don't worry, dear. I'm not testing you, just offering them honestly. Vlad gives me so much stuff. Now, do you want to use some of my fancy make up?" she asked, gesturing at the hundreds of products on her dressing table. 

Sypha shrugged. "Sure, might as well."

"That's the spirit! Here, try this lipstick. I think the Givenchy people gave me all of this to please my husband, but I'm not sure I like them."

Sypha frowned, taking the lipstick and trying it on. "Pink?" she asked, pouting a bit in the mirror.

"Hmm, maybe something a tad darker. I'm a 'shades of red' person, myself. My Vlad loves red, it's his thing," said Lisa, quickly thanking her assistant in french, before getting up and stretching a little. "Use whatever you want, have some fun. I'll go see if anything else caught on fire."

"Anything else?" asked Sypha, alarmed.

Lisa waved her off from the door, laughing. "Don't worry, I took care of it!" 

Adrian walked into the room a few minutes later, just as Sypha was finishing her makeup. He stood back for a moment, watching her, hands in his pockets.

"What?" Sypha asked as she got up and adjusted her dress. Adrian looked downright stunned.

"You look… amazing, darling," he said, fumbling a little with his words as she approached him. He wasn't flirting but complimenting her sincerely. Adrian didn't play games, he was straight to the point, but it also took a lot of effort for him to express his feelings.

"Thank you," she said, taking her sweet time adjusting his tie, pretending not to notice how Adrian was admiring her like a work of art. He touched her earrings so gently, it was almost like he was afraid something might break.

"Mom's making you wear the fancy stuff?" he asked.

"Not like I brought any bling with me. She's nice like that," said Sypha, finishing her work with a soft kiss to his cheek. "You're looking pretty nice, too," she said, the look in her eyes betraying just how beautiful she really thought her boyfriend was.

Adrian blushed a little. "We should get going, my father is big on punctuality."

Sypha took his arm and felt like she was a tiara away from looking like a princess as they walked down the stairs. If only her other prince charming could be there as well.

The event, a commemorative dinner for some of the donors of Lisa's foundation, was by far the fanciest Sypha had ever been to. The dresses were magnificent, wine was served in crystal glasses, there was always a waiter in sight with several exquisite little finger foods on a silver tray. A middle aged woman played the cello, her music just loud enough to be appreciated without getting in the way of conversation. Sypha had for some reason expected a much larger event, but there were fifty or so people mingling around the big hall, some sitting at the round tables, a few standing close to the small stage set near the stairs.

"Is your mom gonna give a speech?" she asked Adrian, keeping her voice low. They were standing far from the stage, watching as Lisa and Vlad made the rounds.

"Yeah, something thanking all of these folks for their donations. Hopefully nothing involving me," he said, sounding dreadful. He had one arm around her waist while taking occasional sips of his wine. 

"That sounds ominous," mumbled Sypha, picking a smoked salmon canapé from a passing tray. "So, what does the foundation do anyway?"

"Mainly it grants scholarships to disadvantaged children and helps families achieve financial stability. There's a lot of counseling, workshops, trainings and specialization for parents to get better jobs," he gestured vaguely, "you know, the works. Helps a lot of people."

Sypha was impressed. "Wow. Does your mom work on it directly? She looks like a very hands-on person."

Adrian smiled, proud. "She is. My father is more of a 'throw money at problems' kind of man, but mom…" He huffed a small laugh, shaking his head. "She likes this life, sure, but it's mostly because it allows her to go around helping people five days a week, then put on a designer dress and make other rich people pay for it."

"Did I mention I love your mom? 'Cause I love your mom. She cracked the code, she's got it all figured out. What a boss," said Sypha, wide-eyed in admiration, and Adrian tried not to laugh too loud.

Both had to quiet down as Hector approached them. "Hello, Adrian. Miss Belnades, I assume?" he asked, kissing Sypha's hand when she offered it. He didn't miss Adrian rolling his eyes at him. "You'll have to forgive me, but Lisa has told me a lot about you," he said, hardly trying to disguise his amusement.

"Good things, I hope."

"Very good things. This is certainly going to be a great dinner. Now, if you'll excuse me," he said, leaving to grab himself some wine and probably to find a place to watch the drama from a safe distance. Adrian sighed heavily.

"How bad do you think this is gonna go?" Sypha asked, finishing her wine and wishing for something stronger. Brandy would do it.

"Oh, awfully," he said, perfectly calm. "Can't wait."

As was inevitable, Vlad and Lisa finally reached Adrian and Sypha. A few people around were pretending very hard not to pay attention, at least superficially aware of the situation at hand. Sypha noticed the dark red accents to Vlad's suit as they approached, making sense of Lisa's comment earlier. Her chiffon cream dress made for an intense contrast with her husband, dark and somber and so much taller than Sypha expected. Vlad was an imposing presence, stern even in a social situation, while his wife smiled with such ease. Both her and Adrian took deep breaths and adjusted their posture for the encounter.

"Vlad, my love, this is Sypha Belnades, Adrian's girlfriend," she said, very subtly pulling him by the arm.

Sypha wasn't sure if he had no option due to his height or if it was a deliberate move, but Vlad visibly looked down at her. "It is a pleasure meeting you, miss Belnades. Adrian, son," he said, monotone, barely looking at Adrian. "I am very thankful that you and my son have come tonight, as this is a very important night for my Lisa."

"Hello, father," said Adrian, face unreadably blank.

Sypha, defaulting to her trademarked Belnades confrontational nature, smiled like a cat that caught a mouse. "The pleasure is all mine, mr Tepes. Wouldn't miss this for the world. I greatly admire Lisa's work, helping the less fortunate. I think it's the very least one can do, don't you?" she asked, feeling Adrian tense slightly beside her.

Before Vlad could retort, and he was definitely going to say something that would start a debate between them, Lisa took evasive measures. "Oh, dear, thank you. You're so kind. Look, it's Yelena! Let's go say hello, Vlad," she said, steering him with a firm but subtle grasp on his arm, directing her beaming smile at a couple of friends innocently passing by.

There was a moment of silence between them, as Lisa made sure Vlad was busy far away, before Adrian said, "That went well."

"Ya think?" asked Sypha, looking for a waiter with more wine.

"Could have been worse. You could have started off saying he's first in line for the guillotine when the revolution comes or something."

Sypha put her arms around his waist, looking up at Adrian's tired face with a big smile. "Didn't wanna be rude to your mom. That sounds like one of the communist memes I sent you, though."

"Probably is," he said, looking around the room. "You know who I haven't seen tonight? Carmilla."

Sypha scrunched her face in disgust. "Good, she's a dick," she said, making Adrian snort. "What do you think Trevor is doing now?"

"Eating his weight in pizza, probably. Or passed out on the couch," said Adrian, looking at his watch.

"How much longer till dinner?" she asked, still hugging him.

"Not long enough."

Sypha was thankful that the next several minutes transpired with no casualties, Lisa coming over to talk to them as often as she could while being a good host. Vlad was somewhere on the other side of the hall, discussing business with other rich old men. None of them had his frankly impressive black hair, contained to a very respectful ponytail, or his brick wall build, though. Vlad would probably stand out in any crowd, except maybe for one of basketball players. Isaac seemed to orbit him like a satellite, making sure he had someone like minded to talk to at all times. 

Before dinner could be served, Vlad accompanied his wife to the stage for Lisa to give her speech, allowing Adrian and Sypha a few extra minutes to mentally prepare. Isaac and Hector stood near the stage, while Vlad stood with Lisa, close enough that the height difference looked almost ridiculous. Nobody would dare laugh, but everyone certainly noticed. Sypha pushed those thoughts out of her mind.

Lisa's speech was short and to the point, full of genuine gratitude towards both donors and members of the foundation. She made sure to thank by name her small team, sitting near the stage, who got applauded by all. And then she turned to their table.

"I'd also like to thank my beloved son and his girlfriend for coming tonight, your support means everything to me. This work, what we strive for every day, the success we're celebrating here tonight, it's all because of you. Everything I do, is to make you proud, my sweet boy," she said, tearing up a bit. Vlad put a hand on her shoulder as the crowd applauded again. Adrian blinked a few tears away, holding Sypha's hand under the table. 

The main course of dinner consisted of an oxtail ragù with semolina gnocchi, paired with a hand picked brunello di montalcino wine, as the red meat option. This was explained as an army of waiters served each individual plate, including the vegetarian option for those who selected it when confirming their presence, and almost every table soon settled into friendly conversation.

"Everything is perfect tonight, mom. Congratulations," said Adrian, sitting beside Sypha and opposite his parents.

Lisa waved him off gracefully. "This is mostly Isaac's doing, he's an excellent event organizer."

Isaac, sitting next to Vlad, remained expressionless. "Credit where credit is due, ma'am. I only keep the ship sailing smoothly, you're the captain."

"So," interrupted Vlad, seemingly tired of pleasantries, "what is it you do for a living, miss Belnades?" 

"I work in a bookstore, owned by a dear friend of mine. It's rewarding work, the kind that makes you sleep well at night, knowing you're spreading knowledge and helping people expand their minds," said Sypha, playing with her wine. Adrian braced for impact. 

"Doesn't sound like a promising career," said Vlad. Hector watched the exchange intently, barely disguising his amusement. "Then again, my son is heir to an empire, so I guess you are settled."

By the very slight shift in her expression and the sudden, although small, change in Vlad's posture, Sypha would guess Lisa kicked him under the table. "I don't need anyone to provide for me. My work pays my bills and I have a large and supportive family to back me should I ever need it. That's what families are for."

Adrian sat upright, now looking visibly bothered, his food mostly untouched. "Sypha isn't after my money or my status, father. She's beyond these things."

"She certainly seems very at ease with this luxury," Vlad replied, keeping eye contact with Sypha over the table.

"Can we change the subject?" asked Lisa, gesturing for the waiter to bring more wine. "Do you like horses, dear? I'd love to show you the stables sometime," she said, giving Vlad a noticeable warning look. He sighed.

"That would be lovely, Lisa. It's been ages since I got to ride."

"Hector here is responsible for our animals, he could arrange for us to ride together," said Lisa, taking Hector out of his comfortable spectator mode. 

"Where did you learn?" he asked, trying not to start another fight.

"My uncle Russ used to own a small farm when I was a kid. He unfortunately had to sell it when his wife, Grace, passed away," said Sypha, enjoying her food as if nothing happened. "You have an amazing home, mr Tepes. I could never live in a place this big, though. I'd prefer somewhere small, warm and cozy." Adrian put a hand on her thigh and squeezed a little, asking her silently to not do that, so Sypha took a sip of wine to recompose herself. "Anyway, tell me more about the foundation, Lisa."

Before Vlad could take the bait, Lisa took over the conversation, explaining in detail how the foundation kept several programs with the local community to help low income families. She was good at it too, using all of her charisma to keep them enraptured while they finished dinner. When desert was served, consisting of orange and olive oil chocolate trifles, Adrian asked his mom about it so she could keep dominating the conversation, only now switching topics to sweets. 

"We worked out this strategy a while ago, to keep my father stuck and to avoid fights," Adrian whispered to her, and Sypha had to admit it was brilliant. It did not account for external agents, however.

"Vlad, Lisa, I wanted to congratulate you before I leave," said Godbrand, approaching the table, and Adrian swallowed a groan. Lisa put on her fakest smile, from what Sypha could tell.

"Thank you for coming, Godbrand. It's always a pleasure to see you," said Vlad, showing no emotion whatsoever as they shook hands. Godbrand turned to Adrian.

"Miracles do happen, huh? I'll see you at the office on monday, Adrian. Miss…?"

"Sypha Belnades," she said, not getting up. Sypha knew her rules of etiquette and had already been warned about Godbrand.

"Well, well. Nice meeting you. I gotta get going, but I sure hope to see you around more," he said, smiling like a weasel. Sypha did her best to keep a polite smile on.

"I hadn't seen Godbrand yet tonight," said Adrian, frowning.

"He arrived late, unsurprisingly," said Isaac, to the point. "If you'll excuse us," he said, looking at Hector with a clear indication that he was included, "we must leave now. There is much to be done, and we shall have early mornings."

Hector stood with a sigh and left with Isaac, leaving no buffers at the table.

"Adrian, I expect you won't be staying the night," said Vlad, eyes on Sypha.

"Not unless mom asks me too," replied Adrian, hoping his mom got the hint.

"Well, you're definitely not driving home, that's for sure. I'll have our driver take you both home," said Lisa, tapping Vlad on the shoulder. "Yelena and Boris are leaving too, let's go talk to them."

Vlad very clearly did not want to go, but he did as his wife told him without a word. Adrian sighed in relief, turning to Sypha. "Come with me, wanna show you something."

He took her hand and they slipped past the other guests, going up the big stairs.

Adrian had been living by himself for years now, in the same luxurious apartment, and yet his place looked like a showroom or a magazine cover. The few framed pictures he owned, one of his family and two of him with his mother, were on his bedside table, hidden from any uninvited eyes. Everything was very nice, exclusive, designed by someone famous and distinguished, but none of it had any soul, any meaning beyond its price. Sypha only understood why Adrian's apartment felt so bare and empty when she saw his childhood bedroom for the first time.

"Oh, wow. How am I still impressed with how big your room is?" she asked, walking around and looking at the shelves full of toys, books, trinkets from trips. So much of who Adrian really was, displayed there for no one to see but his mom, probably.

"Dunno. It didn't feel that big growing up," he said, sitting on his bed.

"I can kinda see why," said Sypha, picking up a matryoshka and admiring it. "I'm going to guess this is not all of the toys you've ever had."

Adrian snorted. "Nowhere near. Mom made sure I gave away anything I didn't want anymore, instead of throwing it out. She liked to play cars with me."

Sypha smiled, looking at him over her shoulder. "That why you like cars so much?" Adrian just shrugged, smiling a bit sadly, immersed in nostalgia.

Most of the room had clearly been updated as he grew, leaving a mixture of bits and pieces from his childhood to his teens. There were pictures of Adrian, almost all with his mother, standing near monuments, in front of his school, at a park. The only picture that included his father was on his desk, near the science fair prize he had won that day. It was a more formal picture, with his parents standing behind him as Adrian, probably around ten, held his prize gingerly. Vlad seemed as serious as ever, while Lisa had a proud smile on her face. It was subtle, how Adrian stood closer to his mother in the photo, her hands on his small shoulders, leaving almost no room for contact with his father. Vlad's hand was on Lisa's shoulder, pulling her closer ever so slightly. Sypha would never forget that photo, and what it said about Adrian's family.

"I think we survived mostly unscathed, then," said Adrian, taking Sypha out of her reverie. He was now standing at the balcony, looking over the back of property.

She put the picture back in its place and joined him. "Like you said earlier, could have been worse."

They stood quietly for a while, watching the leaves of the many trees dance in the wind. Sypha shivered in the cold night air, her arms exposed, and Adrian took his suit jacket and put it over her shoulders, pulling her close and wrapping his arms around her waist. "Better?" he asked in her ear.

Sypha only hummed in agreement and enjoyed the warmth for a moment before they said good night and departed to her apartment, which felt so much more like home to Adrian.


End file.
